Virginia teacher Abigail Zwerner.Photo: Today Show
Abigail Zwerner of Newport News, Virginia,named several defendantsin her lawsuit, including the School Board of Richneck Elementary School where the incident took place, former schools Superintendent George Parker III, former Richneck principal Briana Foster Newton, and former Richneck vice principal Ebony Parker, PEOPLE has confirmed.
Specifically, the suit alleges that she breached “her assumed duty” to protect Zwerner, “despite multiple reports that a firearm was on school property and likely in possession of a violent individual.”
Virginia teacher Abigail Zwerner.Today Show
In the suit, Zwerner said she now suffers from “physical pain and mental anguish.” New details about the child involved in the incident were also revealed in the suit, including an incident from the prior school year in which the then-five-year-old allegedly strangled and choked a teacher.
He was reportedly removed from Richneck Elementary after the incident, the suit added, but wasallowed to returnfor the current 2022-2023 school year.
Other alleged incidents, including inappropriately touching a classmate on the playground during recess, cursing at classmates and teachers, and chasing other children around with a belt and threatening to hurt them, are also noted in the lawsuit.
Due to the child’s repeated violent behaviors, a parent was required to accompany him to school. On the day of the shooting, however,no parent was present.
“We willregret our absenceon this day for the rest of our lives,” the boy’s family said in a statement in January, per CNN.
“Our heart goes out to our son’s teacher and we pray for her healing in the aftermath of such an unimaginable tragedy as she selflessly served our son and the children in the school,” the statement continued.
School Shooting in Newport News, Virginia.Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot via AP
“Teachers' concerns with John Doe’s behavior was regularly brought to the attention of Richneck Elementary School administration, and the concerns were always dismissed,” Zwerner’s suit alleges. “Often when he was taken to the school office to address his behavior, he would return to the classroom shortly thereafter with some type of reward, such as a piece of candy.”
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A third teacher then allegedly told Parker that the child showed a gun to another child at recess and threatened to “hurt him if he told anyone,” according to the complaint. Another school employee later asked Parker for permission to search the child for the gun but Parker allegedly stopped them.
Zwerner recently talked about the experience and how her life has changed forever.
In an interview with theTodayshow, Zwerner, 25, gave anupdate on how she’s been progressingsince the harrowing incident.
“I’ve been doing okay,” she told theToday’sSavannah Guthrie. “It’s been challenging. I’ve gone through a lot of obstacles and challenges.”
Zwerner was in herfirst-grade classroomwhen the students shot her. She raised her hand and the bullet went through her hand and then struck her chest.
RELATED VIDEO: Family of 6-Year-Old Accused of Intentionally Shooting Teacher Speaks Out
Shortly after the shooting, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said at a press conference that the youngstudent was taken into custody. He also described the shooting as intentional.
Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn told NBC News in early March that the 6-year-oldwould not face charges, saying that the “prospect that a 6-year-old can stand trial is problematic.”
“I remember him pointing the gun at me,” Zwerner toldToday. “I remember the look on his face. I remember the gun going off. I remember feeling something. It was a pretty scary day.”
“There’s some things that I’ll never forget. And I just will never forget the look on his face that he gave me while he pointed the gun directly at me,” she added. “That’s something that I will never forget. It’s changed me. It’s changed my life.”
The Newport News School Board as well as the Newport News School District did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
